Thomas Grønnemark has already helped Liverpool finish a long-winded drought for the Premier League title; now, he’s trying to do the identical with Arsenal.
Born December 12, 1975, Grønnemark grew up in Denmark, the place he impressed within the nation’s high U-19 league towards the likes of Thomas Gravesen, earlier than switching to athletics within the mid ‘90s. He competed for Denmark in each working and throwing, attaining a private better of 40.47 within the 4×100 relay on June 22, 2002, in Sevilla. That very same yr, he entered the Danish bobsleigh group, spending 4 years and dealing alongside the German bobsled group in a partnership.
Commercial
While taking part in an indoor soccer match in 2004 as a part of his warm-up exercise, Grønnemark took an extended throw-in from one finish of the ability to the opposite, leaving everybody flabbergasted. It was then that he realized that he wished to develop into the world’s first-ever throw-in coach. And after plying his commerce for various Danish sides like FC Midtjylland and Viborg, Grønnemark lastly acquired his first massive break in 2018 after being employed as Liverpool’s throw-in specialist in 2018. When Jürgen Klopp employed him, Liverpool ranked 18th within the in possession retention after throw-ins (45.4%); inside a yr of Grønnemark’s arrival, they jumped to 1st (68.4%). Bolstered by this enchancment, Liverpool managed to win the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, in addition to the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2022.
After spending his first two seasons touring to Liverpool for every week, 4-5 occasions per season, Grønnemark was restricted to only one preseason go to throughout his subsequent two seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. Since leaving Liverpool in 2023, he’s stored busy by working with groups in Germany, Spain, England, Japan, and Denmark, and on January 11, he was introduced as a part-time throw-in coach for Arsenal. As he appears to be like to spearhead Arsenal to their first league title since 2004, Anfield Index spoke to Grønnemark about various subjects, together with:
You’ve labored with a ton of footballers over the previous twenty years: have there been any gamers who you’re feeling such as you’ve actually gotten the possibility to mould and form into efficient throw-in takers? I do know Joe Gomez improved lots in throw-ins, would he be that participant for you?
Joe Gomez developed a loopy lengthy throw-in: I bear in mind him aiding an extended throw-in objective in a UEFA Nations League match in November 2018, the place England beat Croatia 2-1 and gained their group. However for me, in fact, I’ve developed gamers who’re aiding a loopy quantity of lengthy throw-in objectives. I’ve coached Midtjylland for the final 5 seasons, but in addition from 2015 to 2018, they scored 46 lengthy throw-in objectives. There are a few gamers there who virtually assisted all of these 46, and naturally, this offers me plenty of satisfaction, as a result of I feel that’s nice for the participant, for the group, for the membership, but it surely’s much more enjoyable to see if the gamers are actually good at what I name the quick and intelligent throw-ins. What do I imply by that? We now have to recollect, earlier than I got here to Liverpool, they have been actually unhealthy at throw-ins; it was truly a world-class group, however extraordinarily unhealthy at throw-ins. They’d this possession on 45.4%, however in my first season, 2018/19, they improved to 68.4%, and once more, that is information from the Chief of Soccer, not my very own. They went from #18 within the Premier League on throw-ins beneath stress to #1, and naturally, I’m teaching the entire group, as a result of if the outfield participant’s not creating area, it’s actually laborious to maintain possession, create probabilities, and rating objectives on throw-ins.
Picture: IMAGO
Commercial
You had the possibility to work with arguably the perfect fullback duo on this planet with Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold; what was it like with the ability to information these two gamers?
I’ll say that the event I noticed with Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold over these 5 years was actually implausible. They have been two differing types, you possibly can say, a bit of bit like they’d be taking part in contained in the pitch, too. Andy Robertson was implausible, actually quick together with his throw-ins when he ought to throw quick, and he had endurance. He was actually good at seeing areas, he was actually good at taking selections, so actually what I name a world-class throw-in taker, particularly with the quick and intelligent ones. Trent was additionally world-class, however he was world-class in one other means, and he was truly doing his throw-ins a bit of bit the identical means that he performed together with his ft.
I learn some years in the past that Trent had one of many lowest passing percentages in soccer, however he was additionally one of many guys with probably the most assists. That’s as a result of he noticed plenty of areas on the pitch together with his ft that solely very, only a few gamers on this planet may truly put it in, however the area he put it in, if it didn’t go effectively, then it could nonetheless be low-risk, high-reward.
And it was a bit of bit the identical together with his throw-ins, that he typically waited a bit of bit longer than Andy Robertson, however this was not as a result of he didn’t know what to do, it was ready for the precise area, and that may typically take a bit of bit longer, since you don’t know if it’s the primary area, or the third area, or the seventh area your group creates. In the event that they create area, that’s the greatest. I’ll for positive spotlight these two as a result of their throw-in personalities have been additionally a very nice signal of decision-making and creativity for each of them.
Commercial
Lastly, you’ve been in a position to obtain 15 titles, 4 promotions, and 0 relegations because you began your teaching journey, however what has been your proudest second? In the event you may relive one second that you simply had the possibility of dwelling, both from the stadium or from the sofa, what would it not be?
I’ll say the 2019 Champions League Remaining, in my first season towards Spurs. I used to be simply watching it at residence, and the humorous factor is that after I’m on the stadium and seeing soccer matches, I’m not nervous. I’m extra excited, however not nervous, however after I’m seeing it on the telly, if it’s considered one of my groups, and if it’s an essential recreation – in fact, all video games are essential, but when it’s particularly essential like this – I’m getting so nervous. We scored after two minutes, after that penalty kick, after which stood a bit of bit low, as a result of Liverpool’s energy was counterattacking, and Spurs couldn’t do something to interrupt it down. Many individuals would in all probability say it was fairly a boring Champions League Remaining, however I used to be so nervous after the primary half that I couldn’t see it anymore, as a result of it meant a lot to me that we have been taking part in for the Champions League title. So I simply took an extended stroll, after which I stated to myself, ‘Okay, you possibly can solely take a look at the dwell rating each 10 minutes on the cellphone.’ I ended up wanting on the dwell rating each two minutes, and all of the sudden, Divock Origi scored, and I simply ran a kilometer residence and noticed the final 5 minutes on the telly.